President of Nigerian Institute of Building, Kunle Awobodu, has identified sentiments and the lack of political will by the authorities to prosecute culprits as factors encouraging building collapse in Nigeria.
Speaking with Financial Street on Thursday, Awobodu noted that there had been many collapsed buildings in the country, with Lagos alone accounting for 60 per cent.
Most worrisome, he added, is that those who participated in the construction of collapsed buildings are not being prosecuted.
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“How many culpable government officials have been held accountable? Sometimes, even other little efforts towards prosecution are either frustrated or prolonged.
“Sentiments and political considerations have remained the clog in the wheel of justice. The doctrine of consequence is the appropriate method that can eradicate quackery from building sites in Nigeria,” he said.
While describing quackery as the act of practising where one lacks proficiency, Awobodu stated that “a system that tolerates quackery” is bound to face repercussions, such as witnessed two years ago at Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island, where 20 people died in a collapsed building.
He suggested the use of experts to help this nation overcome the menace of building collapse.
The NIoB president maintained: “The time has come for the Nigerian government to get rid of quacks in all building sites in the country. The respective states in Nigeria should prioritise the safety of lives during and after construction, by having laws that meet the basic minimum requirements of the Nigerian National Building Code.”
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